Fire Chapter 5: The Herbalist
by Wren Sharpbeak
Summary: A trip to a nearby herbalist to get medicines for an ill Iroh helps the ‘GAang’ gain a better understanding of each other. But this newfound trust is tested when trouble comes to town.
1. Ch 1 Tempest

**Disclaimer: **the characters and places in the following work of fan-fiction are the intellectual property of Nickelodeon and, as such, they reserve the right to remove this story at their sole discretion

**Author's Note: **This narrative represents the fifth 'episode' in my speculative version of the third season of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender', so if you've not yet read the previous four installments, you may wish to visit my profile now and do so, or this tale might not make much sense. A more comprehensive explanation of the intent, format, and focus for my stories can be found in the Author's Note at the end of "Fire Chapter 2: The Battle of Chameleon Bay".

If you like my work and haven't done so already, please be sure to add me to your author alert list so you can stay abreast of all updates and future 'episodes' as they are published. Thank you for reading. Please enjoy and feel free to leave a comment!

* * *

Sokka steered the flying bison high over the dark ocean as the last rays of sunlight retreated from the sky, leaving only a scattering of stars in its wake. After escaping the onslaught of the Fire Nation ship the flight had been blessedly uneventful, if eerily quiet. With a longing glance at the crescent moon, the young warrior looked over his shoulder to check on Appa's weary passengers.

Katara was seated along one side of the saddle with Aang snoring comfortably on a folded blanket half-draped over her. The water bender was regaling Iroh and Toph, who were sitting next to each other at the back, with the details of how she and Sokka had found the Avatar.

Toph was making a concerted effort to pay attention to the story and failing miserably; her tiny head constantly drooping to one side only to snap back up the moment it landed on Iroh's arm. Amused by the girl's staunch attempts to resist being comfortable, the old man finally draped his arm over her in a fatherly fashion and let her settle her head on his chest.

Sokka couldn't help but grin as he noticed the barest flicker of a smile that played at Toph's lips as she almost instantly fell asleep. _We've got a really good crew here,_ he thought to himself fondly. And with that happy thought, he started to turn his attention back to the horizon ahead.

But his affectionate mood quickly vanished as he caught sight of Zuko: his former enemy turned ally. Even asleep, the banished prince had an air of intensity about him, and Sokka didn't honestly know if he should be afraid of the guy or feel sorry for him. He settled on a mixture of both as he watched Zuko shift restlessly in his slumber.

The story of Zuko's outburst in the war room and subsequent punishment had a left a huge impression on the water tribe warrior. It really was too horrifying to imagine and Sokka could only guess at what unspeakable nightmares must plague a person after such brutal treatment. Although he might never admit it out loud, he'd gained a lot of respect for Zuko over the last two weeks, and as he watched the fire bender toss fitfully, Sokka realized that the two of them might not be as different as he had once believed.

Lost in deep contemplation, Sokka was oblivious to the encroaching thunderheads looming in the distance, silently eradicating the stars and snuffing out their fragile light. Meanwhile, behind the prince's flickering eyelids, another storm was already raging.

* * *

Zuko floated high over the Agni Kai arena as it spun almost lazily beneath him, pulling him in a disorienting spiral down to the center of the room. Observing from the sidelines were all the past lives of the Avatar, their illuminant eyes focused on the dueling platform where Aang waited at one end with Ozai at the other, and there was only Zuko to stand between them.

He glanced from one to the other as they stared past him, _through_ him, to lock determined gazes on each other. The air suddenly exploded around them with powerful force, and Zuko was gripped in panic as he realized he was caught in the crossfire. Desperately, he tried to move, but found himself rooted to the spot, unable to affect, or be affected by, what was happening. He was like a specter, watching in helpless amazement as the scene played out.

He turned to look at Aang, who rose from the ground with eyes and tattoos aglow as wave after wave of violent energy cascaded off him. Zuko followed the path of the attack and stared in shock as Ozai's fiery defenses crumbled, and the man that Zuko had once called father was engulfed in blinding light. When the radiance subsided, all that remained of the Fire Lord was drifting ash.

Zuko looked back to the Avatar, hovering triumphant over the arena, and the prince gazed up at him with a mixture of awe and admiration. Aang tilted his head down to acknowledge his ally, but the moment was shattered as Zuko's eyes flew wide in horror. Too late, he noticed the blast of lightning strike the young air bender from behind.

Time seemed to stop and Zuko could hear his own anguished cry as he witnessed Aang's agonizingly slow decent to the ground. The prince was immobilized by despair as his sister charged her attack again, letting the bolt fly directly at him with a tremendous crash of thunder.

* * *

Lightning rent the sky as Zuko sat upright with a gasp, his eyes darting around as he left one nightmare behind, only to be replaced by another that was all too real. He saw that the others were also sitting up and looking around in surprise as the unexpected storm detonated around them. From Appa's head, Sokka turned and shouted over his shoulder.

"Everyone get strapped in, it's going to be a rough flight!"

As if to reinforce this prediction, a strong gust of wind buffeted Appa from the side, forcing the giant bison into a sharp dive and sending Zuko pitching across the saddle with a yelp, right into Aang and Katara where the three collided in a collective chorus of 'oofs' and 'ows'. They wasted no time untangling themselves and Zuko quickly set about getting the ropes secured around the other two. A swift glance over at his uncle confirmed that Iroh had already taken care of Toph and was looping the rope over himself as well.

Once everyone was lashed in, Zuko hurried to the front of the saddle and began tying off the cord. The knot secured, he then wrapped the loose end tightly around his wrist and hung on to the side of the saddle for all he was worth.

By now, the rain was pounding them in a relentless torrent, soaking them all to the bone as they shivered in the chill wind. Katara had given up on bending the water away. There was just too much, and it was blowing around from all sides. Aang considered conjuring another air shield, but realized he'd never be able to keep it up long enough; he was still too tired from everything that had happened earlier that day. So the group just clung to the saddle with gritted teeth and endured the fierce attack of nature.

Zuko risked a look at Sokka, and saw that he was having a hard time steering the bison in the gale. Pushing aside his fear of falling, the drenched fire bender climbed over the saddle wall, still gripping tightly to the rope around his wrist, and leaned forward to address the water tribe warrior.

"We need to get out of this storm," Zuko shouted, trying to make himself heard over the roaring squall.

"I'm trying," Sokka called back, "Help me find someplace to land!"

While Sokka artfully navigated through the chaotic winds, Zuko squinted against the blinding rain in a desperate search for anything that might offer them some safety. A series of lightning strokes to the south caught the prince's attention, and just before the dancing forks of radiance subsided, he could make out the silhouette of land.

"There!" he cried, pointing his finger toward the now invisible mass. The other boy peered into the night trying to see it as well. At last, another brilliant burst lit the sky, revealing their salvation.

"Got it," Sokka yelled, and immediately pulled the reigns to guide Appa toward shelter.

* * *

The typhoon only intensified as they made their perilous flight to mountainous shore. Floodwaters had covered most of the coastline, and Sokka decided that the higher up they were, the safer they would be. Spotting a fairly large crevice along the ledge of the upper tree line, he headed for it in the hopes that it would be sufficient to house them all.

It wasn't, but that was hardly a concern as Aang leapt down from the saddle and bent the meager opening to create a deep, roomy cave in the rocky cliff. With a low moan of relief, Appa followed Aang inside.

Toph was the first one out of the saddle, sliding down Appa's side to collapse with a grateful cry to the earth where she continued to tremble violently, whether from cold or terror, it was hard to say. Zuko landed beside her and, seeing her shaking, frowned in concern.

"Are you ok, Toph?" he asked.

She immediately stiffened at the sound of his voice, sitting up quickly with as much dignity as she could muster. But the effect was somewhat ruined as she shuddered again.

"I will be, just as soon as I get warm," she snapped.

Katara was already bending the water out of everyone's clothes, but before she could get to Zuko, he had already headed back out into the rain. No one noticed but Toph, the others being too busy trying to unload the gear and dry off. By the time everyone else realized that he was gone, Zuko was already walking back into the cave with a armload of soaked wood.

"Where did you-" began Katara before her eyes fell to the firewood. "Oh!" she exclaimed with pleasant astonishment.

"This was all I could find," he said apologetically.

"It's plenty," she answered graciously, "just set it over here." And she pointed to the circle of stones she had just finished making.

As he arranged the branches in the small fire pit, Katara set about bending the water from his clothes, causing him to pause briefly in startled amazement to watch the water trail away out the mouth of the cave. She then proceeded to treat the wood in the same manner and once it was dry, Zuko blew a short breath of flame onto the pile. Within moments, a cheery blaze was filling the cave with warmth and light and Zuko finally took a moment to look around.

Iroh and Toph were busy making tea, Katara was getting food ready, and Aang was trying to keep Momo out of everyone's way. Sokka sat hunched over a map, and Zuko came up behind him to look over his shoulder.

"Any idea where we are?" Zuko asked conversationally.

"I think so," answered Sokka slowly, and began pointing to the map as he worked out their position aloud.

"We left the Air Temple here, heading west, and the storm hit us about…here. As near as I can tell, it blew us south…and since we're in the mountains, I'm guessing we're probably….here."

"Dragonhead Isle," Zuko affirmed.

"Yep," Sokka agreed, and then looked up at the prince, "Ever been here before?"

"Too many times," he said with an odd note of grim cynicism.

Sokka raised an eyebrow at this, but the prince didn't elaborate and merely went over to his uncle and sat down. The water tribe warrior had half a mind to press the issue, but decided that perhaps he was better off not knowing. Zuko's tragic past had unhinged Sokka enough already and he didn't think he was ready to learn any more about the banished prince just yet.


	2. Ch 2 Confront

The vicious storm that struck them out on the water had steadily strengthened as it hit land. But despite the continued howling outside, the travelers shared a relatively quiet meal in the large yet cozy cave. Once the last of the dishes had been cleaned and put away, everyone began settling into their bedrolls around the campfire.

Toph was nestled against Appa's rear legs with Momo curled up on her lap. Next to her was Katara, followed by Aang seated near the flying bison's head. To the left of him, Iroh rested against the back of the cave, and Zuko sat at the end of his own bedroll near his uncle, putting him inline with Aang. On the prince's other side and sitting across from the two girls was Sokka.

"So," began the water tribe teen lazily, looking over at Aang, "when are you going to tell us what's going on?"

"Um…going on with what?" asked the air bender innocently.

"You and Zuko passed out in the Temple for starters," the warrior replied. At this, Zuko and Aang exchanged quick glances.

"Oh that," Aang laughed nervously, trying to sound unconcerned, "there's not much to tell."

"_Real_ convincing, Twinkle Toes," remarked Toph sarcastically. "You want to try answering that question again, with the _truth_ this time?"

An uncomfortable hush fell over the group as Aang stared into the fire. The others looked at him in anticipation, but as the moments dragged on with no response from the Avatar, Zuko finally spoke.

"You have to tell them, Aang," he said in a quiet but firm voice. Katara's eyes snapped over to Zuko, and then proceeded to dart back and forth between the two boys who were now looking intently at one another.

"Tell us what?" asked Katara with suspicious worry. "What's going on?" she demanded as she observed their tense staring contest; Aang's almost pleading resistance doing nothing whatsoever to rattle Zuko's composed resolve.

"If you don't, then I will," the prince explained calmly, "but they _deserve_ to hear it from _you_."

"Aang," said Katara with riled apprehension as her eyes continued to monitor the wordless dispute of their locked gazes, "what is he talking about?"

She was trying very hard not to sound as upset as she felt, but the fact that Zuko knew something about her best friend that she did not made her feel disregarded and more than a little resentful. Actually, she was downright jealous.

"Just tell them," Zuko said to Aang, and the prince's eyes softened a bit, offering the other boy an unspoken apology. Taking a deep breath, Aang finally averted his gaze as he let out a heavy sigh of defeat.

"I can't go into the Avatar State anymore," he said quietly.

Katara blinked her eyes in surprise, and then looked around at the others: as if hoping that she had heard Aang wrong and that her friends' reactions would somehow confirm this. How could Zuko know this before any of them? But Sokka and Toph seemed as perplexed as she felt and Iroh's brow was furrowed in concern. Zuko merely stared impassively at the fire. She then turned back to Aang, and seeing his obvious state of despondency, attempted to console him.

"Aang," she began hesitantly, "Just because you haven't mastered it fully, doesn't mean you never will. You just need to keep trying until-"

"No!" he interrupted vehemently, "you don't understand! It's no longer _possible_ for me to get _in_ to the Avatar State!" He looked around at the now shocked faces of his three friends and took a deep breath before continuing more evenly, "Azula killed me in Ba Sing Se, and even though the water from the Spirit Oasis brought me back, I still died while I was in the Avatar State."

Expressions of disbelief suddenly turned to ones of horror as they remembered what Aang had once told them about the reincarnation cycle being broken.

"Then…the Avatars are…gone?" whispered Katara hopelessly.

"No," Aang said reassuringly, "the Cycle isn't completely broken and the other Avatars are still in the Spirit World, I just…can't tap into their power." Before anyone could let out a sigh of relief, however, he continued. "But if I die before I can find a way to reconnect to my past lives, then there won't be any more Avatars after me."

"How do you 'reconnect' to your past lives?" asked Sokka uncertainly.

"I don't know," the air bender sighed, shaking his head sadly. "We went to the Spirit World hoping to find a way to fix things, but didn't get to stay long enough to figure anything out."

"We?" asked Katara tersely.

"Me and Zuko," he replied simply.

A look of dumbfounded hurt flashed across the water bender's face, "But…why didn't you tell _us_? We could have helped," she said plaintively.

"I did have help," shrugged Aang. Katara shot a quick, scathing glance at the Fire Nation prince.

"Not enough apparently," she mumbled scornfully under her breath, but it was still audible over the raging storm outside the cave.

"What are you implying?" asked Zuko, his eyes narrowing dangerously at the disgruntled girl.

"I'm _saying_," she said crossly as she rose to her feet, "that one of _us" _she gestured toward herself, Toph and Sokka, "should have gone with him. We've known him a lot longer."

Hoping to avert a conflict, the young Avatar tried to chime in, "Actually-"

"I didn't _volunteer_ to go, I was _asked_," Zuko retorted icily.

"That's true," Aang agreed quickly. But this interruption only resulted in Katara turning her rising anger onto him instead.

"Oh," she exclaimed angrily as she whirled on the air bender, "so while we're all worrying about whether or not you're ok, you ask _Zuko_ to go with you to the Spirit World?"

Suddenly all three of them started shouting at the same time.

"It's not like that-"

"_He's_ not the one who asked me-!"

"This is unbelievable-!"

"Enough!" roared Iroh, shocking them all into a silence.

The old general raked his eyes across the three teens. Zuko's temper had subsided almost immediately at his uncle's stern outburst, leaving the young man looking wholly exhausted. Aang's shoulders drooped slightly in a mixture of surrender and relief. Only the feisty water bender seemed to be unrepentant, resolutely looking at no one and biting her lip as she continued to fume.

"Perhaps you should hear them out before you judge them too harshly, Katara," said Iroh gently.

At this, she finally hung her head contritely, and Iroh looked back over to Aang, indicating that he should finish his explanations. The young Avatar took a calming breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell everyone what was going on, but I was hoping to straighten things out before putting you guys through all that worry. Plus, the Spirit World isn't the friendliest place," Aang's speech was briefly punctuated by a light snort from the prince at this understatement, and the Avatar cast him a curious look before continuing, "and Pathik felt that Zuko would be the best person to come with me. He didn't explain his reasons, but I trust his judgment."

"You've got no complaints from me," declared Sokka flippantly. "The less I have to deal with all this mystical mumbo-jumbo the better. If Zuko doesn't mind getting dragged all over the Spirit World, well…better him than me," he drawled with a shrug.

"And I doubt I'd have been any help," stated Toph, "didn't you say once that you can't bend there?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'd have been useless…not to mention _completely_ blind," she added with a frown. "_Not_ my idea of fun."

Everyone then looked to Katara expectantly; all but Zuko, who merely stared indifferently into the fire. Feeling so many sets of eyes on her, and quelling her irritation at the distinct absence of a certain fire bender's attention, Katara turned to Aang glumly.

"You're right," she mumbled, "it doesn't really matter who went with you." And she offered him a weak smile.

He smiled back at her warmly. It wasn't really the response he'd hoped for, but seeing that this was the best he was going to get from her, he was determined to accept it.

* * *

The fire had long since burned down to smoldering cinders, and the angry tempest was finally losing some of its furious bluster. But this new stillness only served to exaggerate the occasional rumble of thunder, allowing it to reverberate off the cavern walls like a contained earthquake. It was one such tremor that roused Iroh from an uncomfortable slumber.

He rubbed his head wearily and looked around in the dim light provided by the fading coals. As near as he could tell, none of the others had been awakened by the noise. He was just about to roll back over when the sky outside lit up with distant lightning, and in its brief illumination he spotted a figure sitting at the mouth of the cave. A quick glance at the empty bedroll beside him established the person's identity: Zuko.

Iroh carefully made his way across the dark cave to sit down next to his nephew, and he regarded the boy thoughtfully. It amazed him how much Zuko had changed in the last month. Where once before the prince would have been sitting ramrod straight in a meditative posture, he now sat curled up, hugging his calves, with his knees tucked neatly under his chin. For a moment, Iroh was poignantly reminded of the young boy he found mourning in one of the palace gardens the day the old general had returned home from war.

They had both suffered such terrible loss; Iroh's only son was dead, and Zuko's mother had vanished without a trace. But together they had gotten through their grief, and the two had been practically inseparable ever since. It had been a long time since Iroh had seen this humbler, more sensitive side of Zuko, but he knew these renewed traits had come with a heavy price. At last, Iroh turned his gaze to the rain drenched night.

"You did very well this evening," he said softly.

"By starting an argument?" snorted Zuko bitterly.

"No," Iroh answered kindly, "by reminding the Avatar of his duty to his friends, and reigning in your temper when you were provoked." Iroh waited patiently for a few moments before getting any kind of response.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore, Uncle," admitted Zuko desolately. "Everything is so confusing."

"That can happen to a man after a trip into the Spirit World," Iroh responded lightly as he pulled his sleeves tighter against him and shuddered in the chilly wind. He watched his nephew carefully, noting the crease in the younger man's forehead.

"What happened there, Zuko?"

The crease deepened as the prince pursed his lips together, as though mulling over his response in his mind before answering. When he spoke, his voice was distant.

"I learned my destiny," he whispered, then pinned a steely glare on Iroh when he added disparagingly, "I saw what _you_ saw."

At this, the older man stiffened somewhat but said nothing, instead holding his nephew's rigid glare with calm, candid eyes until Zuko finally looked away.

"You knew," said Zuko as he closed his eyes painfully. "All this time…you _knew_."

"The things I experienced all those years ago were…confusing to me at the time. But as the years went by, and especially in recent months…" Iroh sighed sadly, "yes…I knew."

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?" asked Zuko, his voice breaking with the turbulence of his emotions.

"If I had told you a year ago, a _month_ ago, would you have been able to accept the truth?" Iroh asked perceptively. "Would you have even _believed_ me?"

Zuko turned to his uncle with a harsh denial on his lips, but it quickly died as he realized that the old man was right. Hanging his head, he murmured his resignation.

"I suppose not."

"A hundred years ago," Iroh explained pensively as he gazed out into the dying storm, "the Air Nomads told a twelve-year-old boy that he was the Avatar. The burden of this knowledge was too great for one so young, and our world fell into darkness. His return has brought hope, a chance for the balance to be restored. With so much at stake, I could not risk making the same mistake the Monks did. You had to accept this path on your own."

"Do I have any choice?" scoffed Zuko.

"You always have a choice, Prince Zuko," Iroh stated firmly as he looked his nephew in the eye, "it is merely the consequences that make such decisions seem so difficult. What actions are you willing to take? And what outcomes are you prepared to _live with_?"

Zuko glanced at his uncle briefly as these words sank in, while Iroh continued.

"Have you decided to aid and protect the Avatar because it is your _destiny_?" he asked shrewdly. "Or is it because, in your heart, you feel it is _right_?"

"I don't think I know the answer to that, Uncle," he responded solemnly.

"Then you are thinking too hard, Nephew," Iroh countered tenderly. When this statement received no reply, the old fire bender slowly stood up, shivering slightly as he did so.

"You should get some sleep, Prince Zuko," he admonished fondly, "after all, a man-"

"-Needs his rest," Zuko finished with a wan smile, "I know, Uncle. I just need some time to make sense of all this."

"I understand," Iroh nodded as he patted his nephew's shoulder gently. "Just don't stay up too late," he added with paternal affection.

And with that, the retired general headed back to his bedroll, a rolling boom of thunder drowning out the gravely cough that rattled through him as he lay down.


	3. Ch 3 Malady

Commander Huo rubbed one of his graying temples distractedly as he listened to the report of his first officer, the pale light of dawn just enough to add to the discomfort of his aching head. It had been a long night and the middle-aged man wanted nothing more than to finish the necessary briefing so he could get some much-needed rest. It was all he could do to pay attention in the meantime.

"…The trebuchet was lost but all men are accounted for-"

"Very good," Huo interrupted, hoping that was the end. But he was quickly disappointed as the other man continued.

"However, nearly a dozen crewmembers have taken ill and-"

"Have them report to the infirmary and adjust the duty roster accordingly," the commander said with almost automatic proficiency as he continued to nurse his throbbing skull.

He fully expected to hear another problem, and when he didn't, he opened his eyes and looked at his second in command. The expression on the other man's face told him that there was indeed more news, and that Huo was not going to like it.

"Is there something else?" asked Huo tersely.

Lieutenant Jee took an uneasy breath. "The Princess Azula would like to have a word with you, Sir."

Huo fought the urge to swear out loud. Instead, he gritted his teeth and muttered, "I'm sure she does."

"Shall I…send for her, Sir?" inquired Jee with a grim, almost conspiratory smirk. He already knew the answer, but it was protocol to ask.

Huo let out an 'hmph' as he cast Jee a knowing glance, returning the lieutenant's bleak grin.

"She can wait."

* * *

It took a while for the strange noise to penetrate the foggy haze of sleep, and no sooner did Zuko cross the tenuous bridge between reality and dreams, the sound stopped and he found himself drifting back to his uneasy rest. But within moments, the rankling clamor was rebounding off the stony walls again, and this time it got the young fire bender's attention. It sounded awful, and it was coming from…

"Uncle?" called Zuko groggily as he rolled over a bit to look at the man behind him.

When the only reply he got was more hacking and coughing, Zuko sat up completely and turned to regard the old man with a critical eye. What he saw made him frown in worry.

A thin sheen of sweat clung to Iroh's pallid face, his eyes and nose were red and puffy, and he was shivering visibly. As another round of lacerating coughs ensued, Zuko quickly grabbed his own blanket and draped it over his uncle before helping the older man sit up in order to ease the violent congestion that rattled in his chest.

"Ugh, Appa," grumbled Sokka sleepily, "can you spit that hairball out already?"

"It's not Appa, you Dimwit," snarled Toph as she pushed herself up on to her hands to get a better 'look' at the source of the disturbance.

By now, the whole group was awake, their confused and bleary gazes finally settling on the back of the cave where Zuko hovered anxiously over Iroh, who was breathing heavily.

"Is everything ok over there?" asked Katara meekly as she rubbed her eyes.

"Just fine-" Iroh rasped weakly.

"No, it's not," replied Zuko edgily. He laid a hand against his uncle's forehead, glancing at Katara as she came over to sit on the other side of the ailing man, "he's burning with fever, but shivering like he's cold, and-" Iroh interrupted the diagnosis with a burst of body wracking coughs. "Then there's _that_," Zuko finished dourly.

Katara looked Iroh over carefully, also pressing her fingers against his brow. She shifted her gaze to Zuko for a second, and then back to Iroh as she suggested calmly, "Let's get him closer to the fire."

* * *

Huo strode into his quarters with a weary sigh, pushing the door shut behind him, and absently sending a miniature burst a flame toward the open lantern on a nearby table. He didn't even notice the silent, shadowy figure sitting in the chair across the room until it spoke.

"Busy day?" asked Azula casually.

He stiffened abruptly at the sound of her voice but, thankfully, made no other outward sign of his surprise.

"If you got lost on the way to your room, Highness" he began coolly, "You need to have but asked a crew member and they could have escorted you."

Azula's eyes narrowed into deadly slits, but kept her tone measured and polite.

"You should mind how you speak to me, Commander," she said lightly, "You're already treading on very thin ice."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I know how to swim," he retorted calmly. "Now, would you care to tell me what you are doing in my cabin?"

At last, she dropped the pretense of cordiality and glared at him venomously, her voice only barely able to contain her rage.

"My request for a messenger hawk has been denied."

"You seem quite eager to inform the Fire Lord of your latest failure to capture the Avatar, as well as your brother and uncle," Huo interjected. "Therefore you'll be pleased to know that I've already sent him the message," he finished smugly.

At this, she stood up with malevolent grace and crossed the room to face him directly.

"You have more to lose than I do over this, Commander," she hissed.

"On the contrary," he replied evenly. "The Fire Lord has appointed me the sole task of brining you home. Those orders did _not_ include relinquishing command of my ship to you, nor to go traipsing off on reckless excursions. Now, I indulged your little escapade, and as a result we got caught in a storm that would have been avoided had we stayed on course, nearly lost two men trying to save a valuable piece of equipment, and now half a dozen men are in the infirmary sick with fever-"

A knock on the door interrupted Huo's tirade.

"Enter!" he barked, almost glad for the disturbance.

Lieutenant Jee stepped into the room and immediately noticed the Princess, her face frozen in a murderous mix of shock and fury.

"Your Highness," he acknowledged with a quick bow before turning to Huo and proceeding with business, "Forgive the intrusion, Commander, but the chief engineer has just informed me that the main boiler sustained damage in last night's storm and he's requesting that we dock at the next port for repairs."

Huo cast a condescending glare at Azula, but rather than make the remark that this was also her fault, he turned to Lieutenant Jee.

"How far?"

"We're nearing Bìmíng, Sir."

"Very well, adjust our heading. And Lieutenant," Huo paused and looked over at Azula, "If you could please show the Princess back to her quarters."

"We're not through-" she hissed darkly.

"Yes, Highness," he interrupted, "we _are_."

And with that, Huo moved to stand by the door, holding it open to indicate that he would brook no argument. Jee waited in the corridor, his face a careful mask of indifference. Azula's eyes flickered from one man to the other, as if weighing her options, before addressing Huo calmly.

"We'll continue this discussion when you're properly rested then," she finally said with mock concern, then breezed gracefully out the door. "I can find my way, Lieutenant."

Jee glanced to his commander, and Huo nodded his assent to let her go unaccompanied. As the sound of Azula's footsteps faded away, Huo smiled grimly.

"I wonder how far I can push her before she decides to try and fry me," he pondered aloud.

Jee raised an eyebrow at this comment and looked over at Commander Huo with mild amusement.

"If it's all the same, Sir," he began, then turned to look back down the empty hallway she had just vacated, "I'd rather not find out."

* * *

Zuko, Toph, and Sokka made their way steadily down the mountain toward the port city below. It had been decided after some discussion that they would go to get medicine for Iroh, while Katara and Aang stayed and looked after him.

"So tell me again why we are _walking_ to this town," Sokka grumbled.

"Because," Toph explained testily, "we can't risk Appa being spotted since the Fire Nation controls this port. Besides, _everyone_ decided that _this_ was the safest way!"

"And why does this require all three of us? Wouldn't it have been safer if just _one_ of us risked being captured?" he complained.

"Look," she said tersely, "Princey knows where we need to go, I'm here to make sure we don't get followed, and you…" she paused for a moment. "Actually, I have no idea why we had to bring you. Oh, wait! I remember," she exclaimed in mock epiphany, "It's so that if something starts to _fall_ on me from the _sky_, _you_ can tell me to '_look - _out_'_!"

"How would _that_ help?" asked Zuko dubiously, just now tuning in to the conversation. He had been paying little attention to Sokka's endless chatter, but Toph's remark had piqued his interest.

"It _wouldn't_," Toph huffed, "but that didn't stop him from giving me that warning _yesterday_ when I nearly got hit by a flying fireball."

"You told her to 'look out'?" Zuko asked Sokka incredulously.

"It was sudden!" he yelled defensively to no one in particular, "I said the first thing I thought of!"

"Yeah," grumbled Toph, "I'm about to get roasted to a crisp by something I _can't see_ and all Master Quick Wits can come with is 'look out'!" she finished in a derisive falsetto version of Sokka's panicked cry from the day before.

"I said I was sorry!"

"'Sorry', is not going to help me if it happens again," she retorted. "I'm just lucky Katara was there to save my butt!"

Sokka halted his steps as his shoulders slumped forward and his face twisted into an irritated pout.

"You're never going to let me live this down, are you?" he asked with a note of irritated resignation.

"Nope," she replied curtly, "not a chance."

* * *

The sun continued its slow arc toward the top of the sky as the trio walked on. Toph and Sokka had argued for quite some time before finally giving it a rest and Zuko was glad for the silence. Not that it really mattered as he had mostly ignored their bickering anyway. Still, the peaceful quiet was much better. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

"The first thing we need to do when we get there is find some food," Sokka grumbled as he grabbed his belly.

"We got tons of it yesterday at the Temple!" retorted Toph.

Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes. _Here we go again…_

"Yeah, but we didn't bring any of it with us," the hungry teen moped.

"You ate twice as much as anyone else before we left," Toph pointed out, "and you're hungry again _already_?"

"I can't help it! All this walking is giving me an appetite!" he explained defensively. "Besides, fruit and biscuits are fine, but every now and then, a guy just needs some _meat_. But," he continued in a frustrated cadence, "Katara never bothers to get any because Aang doesn't eat it."

"So buy your own!" she suggested with exasperated logic. "Or is Big Mighty Sokka too 'manly' to go shopping?" she taunted.

"I shop!" he shrieked.

"Yeah," she scoffed, "for hair ties and matching handbags."

"Do you two have to argue about everything?" asked Zuko, finally having had enough. They both halted their squabbling for a moment of consideration.

"Um…pretty much," Sokka admitted honestly.

"Picking on Sokka is fun," Toph added casually. "You should try it sometime, Princey. It's a wonderful stress reliever."

"Or you could annoy _Toph_," Sokka said pointedly in response to her suggestion. "Since she takes a joke sooo well," he added sarcastically.

"I can take a joke," she shrugged nonchalantly, "you just don't make any good ones."

"I can be funny!" he cried indignantly.

"Funny looking," she snorted.

"How would you know? You're blind!"

"She's still right," Zuko interjected offhandedly.

At this, the other two stopped dead in their tracks: Sokka's mouth hanging slack as though he'd just been slapped and Toph with a blank expression of pure wonder. And then, the blind earth bender burst out laughing, while Zuko just kept on walking ahead so that neither of them could see his satisfied grin. _Toph was right,_ he mused; _that **did** feel good._

The smile on his lips faded quickly, however, as he rounded a bend and caught sight of the port city below. Coming up behind him, Toph noticed his abrupt change in demeanor, particularly the way the fire bender's heart suddenly sped up.

"What's wrong?" she asked curiously. By now, Sokka had caught up to them and was also looking out at the harbor.

"Oh no…" he murmured, as he noticed the large iron ship gliding into the harbor.

"What is it?" asked the mystified blind girl. Sokka's voice was grim when he answered.

"Azula's ship just pulled into the docks."

_

* * *

_

Commercial Break

**Author's Note: **For anyone who is curious as to what Commander Huo looks like, I've done up a little drawing of him. You can find it at www. sasartstudios. com/ samples. html (_remove all spaces in the url_). Enjoy!


	4. Ch 4 Symptoms

"Do you think they're here looking for us?" asked Toph uncertainly as the other two studied the boat docking in the harbor. It looked a little worse for wear.

"They're probably here for repairs," Zuko reasoned, then pointed out, "There's smoke coming off the boiler."

"Still, we can't risk sneaking in at the docks like we planned," Sokka added. He then looked at Zuko, "Do you know of another place where we can slip into town unnoticed?"

Zuko frowned as he gave an answer that sounded like he was thinking out loud rather than replying.

"The east side of the docks was our best option. There are no towns or settlements in the mountains so no one ever comes from this way. The south and west gates are both under guard, and they question everyone entering or leaving the city…." he stopped himself before he could utter his next thoughts.

He knew that, by himself, he could easily get in undetected, but really didn't want to divulge that information unless there was no other choice. There was no telling how his two new allies would react to the revelation that the Prince of the Fire Nation was also a rather capable burglar.

"Where is this shop exactly?" asked Toph.

"On the west side of town, a good ways south of the docks," answered Zuko, "Why?"

She smiled and cracked her knuckles.

"I can get us in."

* * *

As the light from the entrance of the newly made tunnel faded in the distance behind them, Sokka naturally started complaining.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I hate being underground?"

"Aw, what's the matter, Tough Guy," Toph snickered as she blasted another section of the earth forward, "are you afraid of the dark?"

"Hey, it's all well and good for _you _to go stomping around down here, Little Miss 'I Can See with My Feet,'" he retorted, "but some of us actually need our _eyes_ to-"

He stopped mid-sentence as a flame suddenly flared from Zuko's upturned palm. Sokka stared at it appreciatively for a second.

"Now _that's_ a handy light!" he stated, and then his eyes went wide as he grasped the pun he had just made.

"Ha-Ha! Get it? 'Handy' light." And he promptly began laughing at his own joke. Toph shook her head as Zuko threw the boy a sardonic glance.

"Toph was right," the prince remarked dryly, "your jokes _are_ terrible."

Sokka merely crossed his arms as he proclaimed, "You guys just have _no_ sense of humor."

* * *

Katara sighed heavily as she pulled her hands away from Iroh's chest, letting the water glide from her fingers and return to her flask. She pulled the blankets back up over her patient.

"That's the best I can do for now," she said wearily to Aang. "What he needs is medicine, but he should at least be able to breathe a little easier in the meantime."

"They'll be back soon," the boy said reassuringly, despite the worried expression on his face as he looked at Iroh. The old fire bender was now resting peacefully against Appa's warm flank.

Katara nodded slightly as she slid down Appa's side and walked back over to the fire to sit across from Aang. She could tell he was anxious, and she had a feeling that it was not only for Iroh's health, but for the safety of their other friends as well. Going into a Fire Nation port was bad enough, but to go in there with Zuko, who was not only wanted, but also easy to recognize seemed like asking for trouble.

But the prince had insisted on going, and they had finally given up arguing the point; it was his uncle who was sick after all. Besides, he knew exactly where to go and even Iroh had chimed in between coughs to assure them that everything would be fine. Still, it was hard not to be concerned, so Katara tried to lighten her best friend's mood.

"Hopefully they won't take as long as you did once, only to come back with frozen swamp frogs," she joked as she kept a watchful eye on Iroh.

Memories of being captured by Zhao suddenly flashed through Aang's mind and he choked back a horrified gasp. Hearing this unexpected reaction, Katara quickly turned her head to see him sputtering over his teacup.

"Are you ok?" she asked, rushing over quickly to pat him on the back with a worried frown on her face.

"Yeah, I just…uh…laughed while I was drinking my tea," he lied. "I'm fine."

"Sorry," she giggled blithely as she sat down next to him.

Aang offered her a half-hearted smile before settling a pensive gaze on the fire, oblivious of the concerned stare he was receiving from his water-bending teacher. At last, she looked away, biting her lip thoughtfully before daring to speak.

"So are you going to tell me what's on your mind, or let me sit here and wonder?" she inquired as casually as she could manage.

"Do you think everything happens for a reason?" he asked wistfully, still gazing at the fire. "You said once that my being gone for a hundred years was 'meant to be'." He turned to look at her, "Do you think everything else, even the worst things, are 'meant to be' too?"

"I don't know," she responded thoughtfully her eyes wandered to the fire. "I suppose…if things like Fate and Destiny are real, then…yes, I guess even the most painful events happen for a reason." She regarded him pointedly. "Why?"

Aang's eyes softened as he stared once more at the flames. "I was just thinking about all the stuff Zuko has been through."

Katara was completely taken aback. She had been certain Aang was talking about his sudden inability to enter the Avatar State, and was hoping her query would finally prompt him to discuss it. But hearing this response, her irritation from last night welled up inside her again. She blinked several times in disbelief as she tried to calm herself enough to answer rationally.

"You can't go into the Avatar State anymore, the reincarnation cycle is in jeopardy, not to mention the fate of the entire world," she reasoned incredulously, "and you're worried about _Zuko_?"

"I don't really expect you to understand," he said dejectedly.

"Well, I _might_ if you would just tell me what's going _on_," she insisted tenderly.

"But that's just it!" he shrugged. "I don't _know_ what's going on! If I knew" he added glumly, "I wouldn't be sitting here trying to figure everything out."

"You can't figure out _every_thing at once, Aang," she sighed, then continued sensibly, "you just have to focus on one problem at a time. Let's…start with Zuko. Why are you so concerned about him? Does it have something to do with you two going to the Spirit World?"

"Sort of," he admitted hesitantly.

Katara waited anxiously for Aang to elaborate, but when he didn't, she prompted him, "Aaand…what happened?"

"I'm not sure."

"Aang," she said exasperated, "how can you not be sure? You were _there_ with him!"

"No, actually, I wasn't," he confided shyly, "that's part of the problem. I spent most of my time looking for him."

"What?" she shrieked incredulously as she got to her feet. Katara began pacing as she ranted, "You're telling me that the Guru sent him along to _help_ you, and Zuko left you there _alone_?"

"Um…Katara-" Aang tried to interject.

"What was Pathik thinking?" she fumed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Katara-" he said more firmly.

"And you!" she cried, whirling to face him, "_You_ sat there last night and defended him after he abandoned you!" She spun around again and resumed her agitated gait. "I am _so_ going to give Zuko a piece of my mind when-"

"KATARA!"

"What?" she snapped, spinning to face him again.

"Would you just calm down and _listen_ to me?" he pleaded. When he was sure he had her attention, he explained.

"Zuko didn't run off and leave me behind. For some reason we were separated when we got there. He spent the whole time looking for me too."

"Oh," she said meekly as her bluster was sucked right out of her by this information. She sat back down across from him on the other side of the fire feeling thoroughly chastised.

"But," he added with a thoughtful frown, "I think something happened to him while he was there. I'm not sure what, but I have a feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't pleasant."

"How can you know that?" she asked skeptically, "and why does it even matter?"

"Exactly!" he exclaimed triumphantly, as though she had just described the problem in its entirety.

Katara looked at him in bewilderment. "You've _completely_ lost me, Aang."

Aang sighed in frustration before launching off into an explanation akin to a parent trying to explain a simple but foreign concept to a young child.

"I know that something happened to Zuko, and I know that somehow it was very important. But there's no way I could even suspect any of this since I wasn't there to see it. So how am I able to know anything at all?"

Seeing the look of utter confusion on Katara's face, Aang sighed again.

"Never mind," he said wearily, and then stood up. "I'm going to go get some more firewood."

Without waiting for a response, Aang walked out of the cave, leaving Katara staring after him, thoroughly mystified.

* * *

Walking through the streets of Bìmíng, Sokka soon realized that there was no need to worry about Zuko being too conspicuous. If anything, the scarred young man blended right in with the rough looking characters that inhabited the port city. The wide brimmed kasa that shadowed Zuko's perpetual frown and the twin dao strapped to his back only served to make the banished prince look even more unremarkable among the seedy crowd of hardened sailors and dodgy merchants.

Toph, despite her diminutive size and lack of weaponry, seemed to radiate a sense of surliness that made people want to steer clear. In fact, if anyone stood out, it was Sokka with his wandering gait and open apprehension as he gazed about.

"Would you stop gawking like an imbecile before someone decides to make a sport out of you," Zuko hissed at him.

Sokka, suddenly made aware of his own lack of formidable presence, realized that Zuko was right. Several men were eyeing the blue clad warrior with suspiciously devious grins. He quickly let his hand fall lightly to the machete strapped to his waist, and adopted a scowl of his own. It wasn't a very threatening look, but it seemed to do the trick, and Sokka felt marginally better. Still, the water tribe boy found himself glad that his companions at least looked intimidating enough to keep any potential troublemakers at bay

"This place is a lot different than I imagined," Sokka admitted nervously. "I didn't really expect to see so many…um…"

"Pirates and mercenaries?" finished Zuko wryly.

"Yeah."

Zuko let out a short huff, the closest he ever seemed to come to a laugh.

"The Governor of Bìmíng is…pragmatic," he explained with dry tact, "so long as the tariffs are paid, he doesn't care who sails in or out of the harbor. So now the city is filled with thugs," he added distastefully, "it's one of the things I hate most about this place."

"If you hate it that much," Sokka interjected quizzically, "then why did you come here so often?"

"To visit Ru," Zuko answered simply.

* * *

Commander Huo watched with veiled impatience as the crew worked to repair the engines.

"How much longer until we can be under way?" he asked.

"Another hour at least, Sir," replied the chief engineer.

"Very good, notify-"

"Commander Huo," called an ensign as he rushed into the room, "we have a small problem."

"What is it _now_?" Huo sighed irritably as he turned to face the man.

"The infirmary is running low on medicinal herbs for the crewmembers who took ill last night, Sir," the ensign informed him nervously, and he handed the commander a rolled parchment. "Here is the list."

Huo opened the page and scanned it quickly. He didn't even recognize half the things written on it.

"Perfect," he grumbled as he walked out of the room and headed toward the walkway leading down to the docks.

"If I may, Sir," interjected Jee, following behind, "I know of someone here in town that should be able to help."

Huo paused for a moment to consider this timely news.

"Very well," he nodded, "Lieutenant, you're with me." Huo then turned to the two guards at the gangplank and addressed them. "No one else is to leave this ship under any circumstances. We'll set out as soon as Lt. Jee and I return."

Both men saluted briskly as they responded in unison, "Yes, Sir!"

"So where are we headed, Lieutenant?" asked Huo once they were off the ship.

"An herbalist by the name of Ru."

The commander nodded in satisfaction as the two men made their way through the crowded harbor and into the city of Bìmíng.


	5. Ch 5 Diagnosis

The herbalist's shop was an incongruously tidy, stone house nestled among the dingy wooden buildings of Bìmíng. A variety of colorful, aromatic potted plants lined the small, open courtyard at the entrance, and a high-walled garden could be seen along the side alley, wrapping around to the back of the home.

"Nice place," Sokka remarked appreciatively as the trio made their way to the door.

"Yeah," added Toph genuinely, "it's smells really good too."

"I'd like it better if it smelled like fried meat," Sokka muttered glumly.

"Oh stop your bellyaching already," Toph chided. "It's not like you're going to die of starvation."

Sokka opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off as Zuko spun around abruptly.

"Will you _both_ knock it off?" snapped Zuko with an irritated glare. "Ru is a venerable old man and doesn't need to listen to your endless bickering!"

Sokka and Toph dutifully shut their mouths and remained silent at the prince's admonishment. Having satisfactorily hushed the two, Zuko opened the door and walked into the shop.

* * *

Ru's ears perked up as the chimes on the door jingled merrily and he listened to the footsteps rustling into the shop beyond the counter behind him. When he spoke, his voice carried the slow, airy lilt of old age. 

"Ah, customers," he greeted warmly, continuing to grind the powder before him without turning around. "How can I help you?"

"We need medicine," replied a familiar voice and Ru gasped, letting the mortar clank into the porcelain pestle.

"Prince Zuko!" he breathed as he whirled around to face the person now standing at the counter, "Is that really you?"

Sokka watched with puzzled interest as Zuko took the old man's hand and placed it on the scar that covered the left half of the prince's face.

"Yes, it's me," Zuko answered gently.

"I heard you were dead," whispered Ru earnestly.

"Dead?" Zuko asked with a confused expression as Ru's hand fell away to rest on the counter.

"A group of ruffians came through Bìmíng some months ago," Ru explained, "bragging about the handsome sum they'd been paid to kill you. The whole city was abuzz with the news. And when I heard that there was a warrant for your arrest…I did not know what to believe," he finished quietly. He took a sudden sharp breath as realizations dawned on him.

"But, where is Iroh?" asked Ru with urgency.

"He's ill," responded Zuko gravely, "That's why we came. We need your help."

"We…?" Ru repeated distractedly, finally turning toward the other people in the shop, allowing Sokka to see Ru's face clearly for the first time.

The young warrior's jaw fell open as he noticed the telltale white film that covered the old man's eyes, and Zuko's uncharacteristic gesture from before finally made sense.

"You're blind!" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Wait, what?" gasped Toph, not quite understanding what Sokka was talking about.

"Ru is blind," he explained, ignorant of annoyed look he was getting from Zuko.

"Really?" asked Toph with obvious excitement. Ru merely laughed.

"Actually, I prefer 'optically challenged," the old man remarked lightly.

"Well, what do ya know!" exclaimed the earth bender brightly as she walked over to the counter, "So am I!"

"And who have you brought with you, Prince Zuko?" asked Ru with a warm smile.

"I'm Toph," the girl offered quickly, "and the loud-mouth is Sokka."

"We're Zuko's friends," Sokka added matter-of-factly, before sending a glare at Toph.

The water tribe boy was so busy futilely glowering at the earth bender that he completely missed the shocked expression that crossed Zuko's face at this statement, as well as the sudden quirk of Ru's raised eyebrow. But the old man remained otherwise impassive as he responded.

"Any friends of Prince Zuko's are welcome here," Ru said formally with a slight bow in their direction. "I was just about to have some lunch," he continued casually as he walked confidently to the front door, hanging a small bit of parchment on the front then closing and locking it, "would you all care to join me, and we can discuss what you need?"

"Is there meat?" asked Sokka hopefully as he licked his lips.

"Spiced pork," confirmed Ru cheerfully, as he led them through a door into the back of the building.

"Works for me!" chirped Sokka as he and Toph tagged along, leaving Zuko alone in the room, still frowning in deep contemplation.

"Friends…" he whispered uncertainly, his face a mixture of wonder and doubt as he stared at the doorway they had just passed through. He shook his head, brushing aside the odd sensation he felt, and then went in to join the others.

* * *

Commander Huo stared at the sign hung on the shop door and scowled. 

"_Closed for lunch_?" he read aloud incredulously. "What kind of man closes his shop during the busiest part of the day?"

"The old, blind, and eccentric kind, Sir," Jee answered with an amused smile.

"Oh, well I suppose that makes sense then," admitted Huo grudgingly. When a sudden rumble from his stomach reminded him that he had skipped breakfast, he added dryly, "And come to think of it, lunch might not be a bad idea."

Jee chuckled as his own stomach complained, "I know just the place, Sir. It's not far from here."

And with that, the two men set off once more through the teeming streets.

* * *

Sokka didn't have to be told twice to help himself to the food, and he busied himself with his meal while Zuko and Toph briefly described Iroh's symptoms to Ru. The old man nodded attentively as he ate. 

"What about his appetite?" asked Ru seriously, "has he eaten anything?"

"He didn't even want _tea _this morning," Zuko answered significantly.

"Hmm," the old herbalist mused, "that _is_ unusual."

"Is it serious?" asked Zuko worriedly.

"I know of just the remedy for him" Ru replied evasively, noticeably trying to avoid the question, "But it will take some time to prepare."

"Would you like any help?" offered Toph timidly, then hastened to explain "Iroh has sort of been teaching me how to recognize tea plants by touch and smell and well…I'd like to learn a bit more if it won't slow you down any."

"I would be honored to have your assistance and teach you some of what I know," Ru replied graciously.

Toph simply beamed.

* * *

Katara didn't even glace up when Aang returned. She had been thinking about the previous night as well as her outburst just a short while ago, and trying to unravel the knot of anger that even now squirmed in her chest. In the back of her mind, she knew she was being unreasonable, but it just didn't change how she felt. 

Aang set the wood down and placed some more on the fire, glancing sidelong at Katara's somber expression as he did so.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked as he sat down next to her.

"Honestly?" she replied looking up at him briefly, then back down with a short sigh, "no."

"It's about Zuko, isn't it?"

The dark scowl that flashed across her face was answer enough. But it passed quickly only to be replaced with a glum pout.

"Why do you have so much trouble trusting him?" Aang asked, "He saved your life yesterday!"

At this, her expression softened into regret. "I know, I know," she admitted, "but…somehow it's easier for me to trust him with _my_ life that it is for me to trust him with _yours_."

"What do you mean?"

"You said yourself that Zuko only chased you down because he felt it was the only way," she explained. "And I can understand that. But if you think about it, he's only with us now because he _still_ feels like he has no other options."

"So…what's your point?"

"The _point_ is," she said, fixing him with a grim expression of worry, "what if sometime down the road he's offered another _choice_? What if we get all the way to the Fire Nation, face the Fire Lord himself, Zuko's _father_, and Ozai offers him his honor back in exchange for you? What do you think he is going to do? Do you really want to take that sort of risk?"

"I don't think he would do it," Aang replied with calm certainty.

"But how do you _know_?"

"I don't," he stated firmly as he looked her in the eye. "But I'm not willing to turn to him away on a 'what if'. If did that, then what sort of Avatar would I be? I have to give him a chance."

She opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it again and looked away.

"What's _really_ bothering you?" asked Aang perceptively.

Katara hung her head guiltily, chewing her lip lightly as if trying to keep it from quivering.

"I should have been the one to go with you to the Spirit World," she whispered petulantly.

"Katara, if _I'd_ had a choice you _would_ have been the one to go with me," he said candidly, and was rewarded with the flicker of a smile from her. "But," he continued, "did you ever stop to consider that maybe Pathik wanted Zuko to go for _his_ sake as much as mine?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. "Why would the Guru be concerned with Zuko? _You're_ the Avatar. _You_ should be the priority."

"Because Zuko is as much a part of Aang's destiny as you are," croaked Iroh unexpectedly.

"Oh, Iroh!" the girl exclaimed in alarm, less interested in what he said and more worried about his condition at the moment. "I'm sorry; we didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," he said weakly, "I was thirsty."

She immediately grabbed a flask of water and hurried over to him, allowing him to drink his fill as she watched over him anxiously. Only when he finished and handed her the flask back, did she allow herself to remark on what he had said.

"So what did you mean about Zuko being part of Aang's destiny?" she inquired curiously.

"Did he tell you what happened to him in the Spirit World yesterday?" added Aang hopefully.

"Not completely," Iroh admitted hoarsely, "but enough to understand that you were right about Pathik wanting Zuko to go for a specific reason." He paused for a moment to cough before going on to explain.

"Our world is on the brink of falling irrevocably out of balance, and the Avatar alone will not be able to restore it. But for the first time in a hundred years, people of all four nations are working together toward a common goal. Zuko needed to understand his place in that."

"But how does that help Aang reconnect to his past lives? Isn't _that_ why they went?" asked Katara irritably.

"I'm sure we were supposed to do both," Aang reasoned, "we just didn't have time because we were interrupted. But if only one thing could be done, I'm think I'm glad that it was Zuko who succeeded."

"How can you say that?" asked Katara incredulously.

Aang looked her firmly in the eye as he answered meaningfully, "Because it may be the key to Zuko making the right choice if he's ever presented with one."

* * *

"So how is it you are so familiar with Bìmíng, Lieutenant?" asked Huo casually as the two waited in the small, open patio restaurant for their food. The place seemed to be more of a local hangout, with significantly less of the grungy sailors that occupied most of the city. 

"This was something of a regular stop when I served on Prince Zuko's ship," Jee explained. "Ru is an old friend of General Iroh, so whenever we sailed these waters, he would insist we dock here so he could visit."

"I see," said Huo musingly. They sat in silence for a moment before Huo asked somewhat abruptly, "Jee, how long did you serve the prince?"

"A little over 2 years, Sir."

"And what can you tell me about him?" inquired the commander.

Jee looked at his superior hesitantly. Talking about the royal family to the wrong person was dangerous, and while he didn't believe Huo was the sort to act on it, he felt a little uncomfortable at the prospect. Seeing the uncertainty, Huo smiled dryly.

"This in the strictest confidence, Lieutenant," Huo said reassuringly, "you can speak freely."

Lt. Jee took a breath, and was grateful for the arrival of their food at that moment for it gave him a little more time to assemble his thoughts. Once the waiter left, he answered.

"Prince Zuko always put on a good show of being arrogant and self centered," he replied truthfully, "but I eventually learned it was all just an act."

"Oh?" responded Huo, intrigued. "How do you mean?"

Jee seemed to regard this question critically as he slowly chewed his food, wondering how best to explain.

"I noticed Princess Azula didn't offer any assistance during last night's storm," Jee remarked indifferently as he poked through his rice.

Huo let out an indignant snort, "Did you expect her to?"

"Of course not," answered Jee with a wry grin. Then his expression became contemplative as he continued with certainty, "But if that had been Prince Zuko…he'd have been right alongside the crew getting those trebuchets tied down. And when those men nearly went overboard, he would have been the first person to rush to their aid."

"You think so?" asked Huo, not bothering to hide his skepticism.

"I _know_ so, Sir," Jee replied firmly, "I've seen him _do_ it."

Huo looked at his second in command appraisingly as he tucked all this new information away for future use. He was certain it would come in handy someday and wondered what else he might learn.

"I think I'd like to hear about that, Jee," he stated calmly. "Tell me what happened."

**

* * *

Author's Note:** While I prefer to keep my notes to the commercial breaks, I thought some of you might be interested to know that I've added a concept drawing of Ru to my website at www. sasartstudios. com/ samples. html (_remove all spaces in the url_). Enjoy! 


	6. Ch 6 Procedure

Toph and Sokka sat at the table with Ru, each helping to prepare the medicines for Iroh. The blind earth bender was grinding dry herbs, while Sokka peeled and chopped the bark off of some bitter smelling roots. Meanwhile Zuko was outside in the back garden clipping leaves from yet another plant needed for the remedy.

"So how did you learn all this stuff anyway?" asked Toph, "I mean…were you born blind too?"

"No, no," Ru chuckled. "I lost my sight to old age ten years ago," he explained cheerfully. "Before that, I was the personal physician of the Royal Family."

"As in, the _Fire Nation_ Royal Family?" gaped Sokka.

"Of course!" replied Ru lightly, as if the question had been absurd. He continued matter-of-factly, "I have known Prince Zuko since the day he was born. I oversaw the delivery after all," he said with noticeable pride, "As well as the births of Lu Ten, Ozai, and Iroh. I was even present at Azulon's birth, although I was merely a young assistant then."

"Just how old _are_ you?" asked Sokka amazedly, and then hastened to add in a more respectful tone, "If you don't mind me asking."

Ru paused for moment and sighed, his face softening in a mixture of longing and regret, before answering somberly, "Old enough to remember what _peace_ was like."

There was a solemn stillness as the weight of these words settled over Toph and Sokka. Both of them were in awe, not only at the discovery that this man was apparently well over one hundred years old, but also at the mere idea of what a world without war might have been like.

"So what are you doing all the way out here in Bìmíng?" inquired Sokka conversationally, finally breaking the slightly uncomfortable silence.

The old man seemed to ponder this question carefully.

"I was dismissed from my duties after Azulon passed away. Fire Lord Ozai did not share his father's confidence in my abilities after Prince Zuko's rather…complicated birth. Sometimes I think he was actually disappointed the boy survived," he added sadly.

"Why? What happened?" asked Toph, her curiosity piqued.

"Prince Zuko was a full month early, so he was frail and weak. Not the healthy first born son Ozai hoped for," Ru explained. His milky eyes grew distant as he relayed the tale.

* * *

Ozai stared listlessly across the palace garden, his face hooded by the long shadows of twilight. Only the taut grip around the polished wood railing betrayed his anxiety. But Iroh knew how to spot such miniscule signs of concern, and he sighed heavily as he came to stand beside his younger sibling.

"I'm sure she will be fine, brother," Iroh said reassuringly. "Ru is a competent physician, the best in the nation."

"I'm surprised you think so, Iroh," Ozai responded icily, "considering he was the one who let your wife die."

Iroh threw his brother a contemptuous glare; his shoulders straightening defiantly as he calmly tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"Then perhaps you should be grateful that he has some _experience_ in this situation," Iroh replied acidly.

He had half a mind to pound some respect into his brother for bringing up such a painful loss. That remark stung in ways Iroh could barely even begin to describe. But he tried to let it go, reminding himself forcibly that Ozai was under great stress, and couldn't help being somewhat negligent of how others felt right now. He was about to say something else to try and assuage his brother's worry, but was interrupted by a door being thrown open, and a pitiful mewling sound was heard from within.

"Well?" demanded the younger prince urgently as he strode past the flurry of servant girls rushing off with baskets of soiled linens. The old doctor in the doorway looked exhausted and deeply troubled.

"You have a son, Your Highness," Ru announced wearily.

"And my wife?"

"She is fine," he said soothingly, and then added uncomfortably, "I am much more worried about the child."

"What's wrong with my son?" asked Ozai almost angrily.

"This was too soon, Highness," Ru explained gently, "the boy may not live."

Without a word, Ozai pushed past the old man and into the room. Ursa looked up from where she lay in the bed cradling a pitifully tiny creature. The sickly babe didn't cry so much as whimper fitfully and his skin was so pale that the thin blue veins crisscrossing his bald scalp could be clearly seen. As far as Ozai was concerned, the thing was hideous and it seemed impossible that it would live through the night.

"Would you like to hold your son, Husband?" asked Ursa, her eyes shining with pride.

Ozai stepped back in disgust at the offer, and the beaming smile on his wife's face fell. She looked down at the baby in her arms and her shoulders slumped with fatigue and disappointment. But she refused to voice her sorrow. Instead, she posed another question.

"And what shall we name him?" she asked calmly.

"Call it whatever you want," he answered coldly. "The name will only be used for a birth and death record."

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

* * *

"Of course, Zuko surprised us all," said Ru with a pleased smile, "well, everyone except Ursa. She refused to give up on him and I must admit that never in all my years have I seen a child struggle so fiercely for life. He is nothing short of a miracle, even if Ozai never saw it that way," Ru finished softly.

The three sat silently for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts as they continued their tasks. Sokka was completely numb with shock. It was a similar sensation to what he felt when Iroh had told them of Zuko's banishment. But this time it was different. This time, it was almost…._personal_. Sokka always knew that the Fire Lord was a tyrant bent on world domination. But to discover that he was also a cruel and hateful man that didn't even love his own son made his blood boil with rage. For the first time in his life, Sokka was actually ashamed that he had ever hated Zuko.

Toph had never disliked Zuko to begin with. In fact, she thought he was a fairly decent guy. But now she found herself gaining a whole new level of admiration and respect for the sullen fire bender. She had always known that her own father felt she was useless since the day she was born, but at least her parents actually _loved_ her, even if it was exhibited in an extremely oppressive way. Zuko on the other hand…had he ever even heard the story Ru just told? She had a feeling he hadn't, and as much as the similarities that the two of them shared pained her, it was the _differences_ that were so heartbreaking.

Ru suddenly piped up again, all business, and snapped them from their reveries.

"Well, Toph, how is the grinding coming along?" he asked merrily.

She dipped her fingers into the pestle and pulled up a pinch of fine powder with a slight grimace.

"I think I may have pulverized it a bit," she cringed.

Ru reached over gingerly and felt the soft particles. She fully expected him to tell her she messed it up and was pleasantly surprised when he praised her instead.

"This is perfect!" he exclaimed. "My old hands often lack the strength to obtain a powder this fine. You would make an excellent herbalist, my dear!"

She grinned from ear to ear, never even realizing that in her rapt attention to Ru's story and subsequent musings afterward that a certain young fire bender had been listening at the door the entire time.

* * *

Zuko leaned forward, pressing his hand against the wall near the door to steady himself before letting his head rest alongside it. He felt hollow. Of course, he had already known about the difficulties surrounding his birth and was well aware that Ru's expert care was the only reason he lived during that first year. But no one had ever told him about how his father had reacted.

Could it really be true that Ozai had not even bothered to name his own son? Was he truly ashamed of Zuko from the day he was born? Surely, the man had eventually been pleased about the fact that such a sickly child had beaten the odds and survived…hadn't he?

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut, trying desperately to push the questions away. He didn't have time for this. Taking a deep calming breath, he managed to push himself away from the wall and square his shoulders through sheer force of will. These thoughts would just have to wait.

He hung the clipping shears back in their proper place so Ru would be able to find them, and then walked back into the house.

* * *

Katara frowned worriedly as she moved her water encased hands over Iroh's chest. His fever had gone up considerably, and his breath was ragged and uneven. It was one thing to heal surface cuts, burns, and bruises, but a sickness like this was well beyond her knowledge. For the second time since she had left the North Pole, she found herself wishing she hadn't insisted on learning to fight instead of heal.

"There's nothing I can do to bring his fever down," she said with dismay as she bent her water back into her flask.

"Maybe I should try to find the others," suggested Aang hesitantly.

Katara chewed her lip thoughtfully as she considered this option. It wasn't that she was worried about them. It was a long walk to the town and even if they had been able to get what they needed right away, it would still be a few hours before they could possibly get back.

The problem was whether or not Iroh would remain stable that long. After the brief interlude of lucidity, his condition quickly took a turn for the worst. But letting Aang go into a Fire Nation controlled port was a very bad idea, and she needed to stay to do what she could for Iroh.

"No," she finally said, "I'm sure it won't be too much longer before they return. We just have to keep him warm and make sure he drinks plenty of water when he can."

She pulled another blanket up over the ailing man, and sighed quietly. Aang only nodded solemnly and resumed his absent poking at the fire.

* * *

Jee and Huo made their way through the crowded streets back to Ru's shop as they continued their earlier conversation. Huo had been most interested in Jee's retelling of how Zuko got his scar.

"So the rumors of Prince Zuko's outburst in the war room are true?" he mused aloud.

"I have no reason to doubt General Iroh's story," Jee responded. "And it certainly explained a lot of things about the prince."

"You sound like you have more than a little respect for the boy," the commander remarked shrewdly.

"Let's just say that I was sorry to leave his service," he answered soberly.

"Then why did you?" asked Huo, perplexed.

"Admiral Zhao reassigned me along with the entire crew out of pure spite," Jee replied, and with a tinge of bitterness added, "We didn't have any choice in the matter."

Commander Huo's brow arched astutely at the tone in the other man's voice.

"You do realize that Prince Zuko is wanted for treason," he said cool formality, "I would hate to think your past experiences with the prince would keep you from your duty."

"Of course not, Sir," the lieutenant replied curtly.

Huo looked sidelong at his second in command, carefully studying his stony expression.

"Glad to hear it," he said smoothly, and the two walked on in silence, the channel of communication apparently closed.

* * *

Ru slowly poured the thick dark liquid into a small glass flask and placed a cork into the top. As he carefully wrapped the bottled in cloth and placed it in a sturdy leather bag, he gave the instructions for its use.

"You must get this to Iroh quickly, before it loses its potency," he advised gravely. "Be sure that he drinks all of it. He will sleep for quite some time, but this will make his fever go down, and the congestion should break up." He picked up another bag and filled it with more herbs. "This tea will help strengthen the body, and all of you should drink it for the next few days to prevent the illness from taking hold."

Zuko took both bags from the old herbalist, and then he bowed respectfully. It did not matter to him that Ru could not see it, but somehow he was certain that the man knew the gesture was made.

"Thank you, Ru," the prince said with fervent candor.

"It is always my pleasure to serve you, my Prince," replied Ru with equal sincerity, and he bowed as well.

Sokka and Toph then stepped up to Ru to say their goodbyes as Zuko walked over to the door and slid back the bolt. With one last look over his shoulder, he opened the door, and as he turned his head forward again, his eyes went wide with alarm.

Standing in the doorway, staring with their jaws completely agape were Lieutenant Jee and Commander Huo.

_

* * *

_

Commercial Break

**Author's Note:** For those who have been enjoying my stories, I strongly encourage you to read some other 'Season Three' gems I've found that have a similar flow and feel:

**Shore** by _LavenderSkies_

**Turbulance** by _Kryspix_

**Cast Me Gently into Morning** by _OveractiveImagination39_

So far, these have greatly impressed me with their excellent characterization and adherence to the style of writing seen in the show. You can find them in my favorites, and they are definitely worth checking out! And don't forget to give these folks some well-deserved reviews!


	7. Ch 7 Remedy

The two men stared across the threshold at the scarred face before them, blinking several times while the facts of the situation registered in their stunned minds. Just as they began to recover from their shock, the door slammed shut in their faces and the sound of the bolt snapping into the lock could be heard. They looked at each other quickly.

"Was that-?" stuttered Huo.

"That was-!" exclaimed Jee at the exact same moment.

* * *

Zuko dashed across the room and grabbed Toph and Sokka by the shoulders. 

"We have to go NOW!" he hissed in near panic, pushing them towards the back room.

The front door rattled loudly behind them, and then a harsh pounding ensued, punctuated by a muffled command.

"Open this door in the name of the Fire Lord!"

Ru stood against the counter in confusion and alarm as the chimes on the door jangled erratically.

"Prince Zuko-?" he stammered, "what-?"

"I'm sorry, Ru" was Zuko's pained response as he ushered Toph and Sokka ahead of him and rushed through the door to the kitchen.

The pounding at the front door ceased and Zuko instinctively knew what was about to happen. He spun Sokka around and pressed the bags of medicine into his hands.

"Get these to my uncle," he commanded urgently, "if I'm not back by sunset, leave the island!"

"But-!" Sokka tried to protest, but Zuko brooked no argument.

"GO!" the prince shouted, and shoved the other boy out the back door and into the garden.

The door banged shut practically on Sokka's nose, and there was nothing left for him to do but follow Toph through the hastily formed opening in the garden wall and run.

* * *

Zuko made it back into the main shop just as the front door was blasted open. He waited a moment to make sure the other two men saw him before dashing to the back room. As they rushed forward, he darted out the rear door and into the garden. Toph and Sokka were nowhere in sight, and the young fire bender blew out a quick breath of relief. Now all he had to do was lead his pursuers off a distance and then lose them in the city. No problem. 

Hearing the heavy footsteps in the kitchen, Zuko leapt to the top of the garden wall, and as soon as he saw Jee come out the door, he jumped down to the other side. As he landed, he looked up and down the alley, finally spotting a boy in blue turning the corner at the far end. Zuko ran the opposite direction.

Before he could make it to the main street, however, a blast of fire shot past his head, forcing him to whirl around and face his opponent. There stood Jee in a fighting stance, his features grave. Zuko took up a stance as well.

"This isn't sparring practice," Jee cautioned evenly.

Prince Zuko said nothing, only nodded his head once in understanding. He already knew he couldn't expect Jee to hold back as he had during training sessions on the ship. And if it puzzled him that his former lieutenant would endeavor to warn him of this fact, he didn't let it show. Instead, he simply waited for Jee to make the first move.

Several quick bursts of fire came hurtling forward in rapid succession, each neatly deflected by Zuko. The last fireball fell away only to be replaced by a huge gout of flame threatening to engulf the young prince completely. Zuko's arms snapped in front of him reflexively, and with gritted teeth, he split the fiery jet and tossed it harmlessly to either side of his body.

At this point, Zuko realized that he couldn't afford to let this fight drag on. He needed to get past Jee before the city guard took notice of the duel and got involved. The only way to do that was to press his advantage and subdue the lieutenant long enough to get away.

He silently cursed himself as he pulled free the dual swords.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sokka and Toph raced through the streets toward the underground passage the earth bender had made that morning. They had no sooner jumped down into the hole than Sokka put a hand on Toph's shoulder. 

"Wait," he said with uncertainty in his voice. He fumbled in the dark for the small pouches in his bag and handed them to her.

"You can get these to Iroh faster without me," he stated.

"What are you going to do?" asked Toph apprehensively as the boy climbed back out to the street and reached for a nearby barrel.

"I'm going to make sure Zuko is back by sunset," he answered grimly as he drag-rolled the cask to the hole.

And before she could utter a protest, he slid the barrel over the opening, sealing it shut. Using his boomerang, he slashed a shallow mark in the side of the container and stepped back. Satisfied that he would now be able to find the proper barrel when he returned, he headed off once more to Ru's shop.

* * *

Toph stood in the darkness warmed only by a thin shaft of light shining from a crack where the barrel didn't completely cover the irregular-shaped hole. The bags of medicine were clutched to her chest as she considered her options. Should she go after Sokka to help Zuko or get the remedy to Iroh? She knew she should help the two boys, and wanted to more than anything. But when Ru's warning about the medicine losing potency came back to her, she growled in frustration. Her decision was made for her as she realized what she had to do. 

"If anything happens to those two knuckleheads, I'm gonna kill them myself," she swore.

Then, tucking the bags securely into her belt, she lifted her arms at her sides. The dirt beneath her swelled up like a wave, and with a mighty thrust of her fist she rode the swift tide of earth down the tunnel.

* * *

Aang paced nervously around the cave. All this waiting around and worrying was killing him. Iroh wasn't getting any better. His fever continued to rise and now he was rambling incoherently in a delusional stupor. To make matters worse, Aang suddenly had this terrible feeling in his gut that the others were in danger. 

"Something's gone wrong, I just know it!" he muttered worriedly.

"Aang, I'm sure they're fine," Katara tried to reassure him.

"Up until a few minutes ago I thought the same thing," he said in a rush of words and frantic moving feet, "but now I have this sense that they are in trouble. It's like the feeling I had when I knew you in danger in Ba Sing Se…only…" his voice trailed off as he realized that it was, in fact, different this time.

"But, Aang…" Katara hesitated to say what she wanted to. It was such a painful subject, but it had to be said and she knew it. "Think about what happened when you came back to Ba Sing Se. You were almost killed," she finished quietly.

He couldn't quite bring himself to tell her that when he'd gone to Ba Sing Se, it had been only for her. This time, however, he had the sense that his _own_ destiny was at stake, and that was something he couldn't ignore.

"Aaargh!" he wailed in frustration. If he'd had any hair, he'd be pulling it out. "I hate this! How can I be the Avatar if I have to hide from what I have to do? How can I _help_ anyone?" he screamed.

"I'll go find them," Katara announced. She wasn't about to let him go off alone and risk something happening to him, and if she couldn't go with Aang to protect him, she'd go in his stead.

"No," Aang replied firmly, "You stay here and do what you can for Iroh. _I'm_ going to look for them."

"But Aang-"

"I'll be careful, I _promise_," he said, his eyes pleading with her to understand without questions.

But his heart fell when he saw the look on her face. Where once before he would have seen her faith and confidence in him, now there was only fear and doubt. Sadly, he turned away and started walking out of the cave.

"Aang…" she said desperately, and placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Please…I can't bear the thought of losing you again…I…" She swallowed hard and she closed her eyes briefly as she gathered her courage. "I _care_ about you too much."

Stunned, he wheeled around, and staring back at him was _that_ face, that expression of love and compassion that always made him bend over backwards for her. After all the time spent wondering how she felt, there was the answer in right front of him. And finally, he understood _why_ the Guru had told him he had to let her go.

Before, he would have done anything, even shirk his duty to the world, at her request. But now, her desires, or rather, his desire to please her, no longer had the same sway. As this realization hit him, he hung his head and gently removed her hand from his shoulder.

"I have to help them if I can," he whispered.

And with that, he left, not daring to look back and see her fall dejectedly to her knees.

* * *

The moment Jee saw the swords come out he launched another attack. Those blades up close would give Zuko a sizeable advantage over pure fire bending, and he knew it. What he wasn't expecting was for the prince to be able to continue deflecting the flames. 

It wasn't exactly easy to wield fire and steel at once, but Zuko had done it before and, while this time he was on the defensive, he was confident he could do it again. He used the swords to draw and direct the blasts being hurled at him, flinging the flames to the ground as he pressed forward.

Jee took a step back. What the prince might lack in skill, which at this point didn't seem to be much, he certainly made up for it with speed and ingenuity. Despite his earlier warning, Jee had in fact been holding back, if only a little. But now, he would have to pull out all the stops. This was going to end badly regardless, but the real question now was, for whom? The lieutenant got his answer as the fireballs ceased to fall to the ground and instead came flying back at him.

Zuko hated everything about this encounter. He shouldn't be fighting this man and he didn't want to hurt him. But Fate had pitted them against each other, once again leaving him with no alternative. With grunts of frustrated fury, he used his blades to lob the flames back to their origin as he steadily made his way forward. He was nearing striking distance now, and the moment at which they'd come to physical blows was imminent.

There was barely five feet separating them, and they were close enough to lock eyes with one another. The two men stared at each other grimly, but mirrored behind the determination was something else; regret. Neither of them wanted this conflict, and that each of them could recognize the other's remorse at their shared predicament caused them both to pause.

The prince knew what he had to do; one powerful assault and he could be on his way. But as he drew his arm back and prepared to swing it around, another voice cut through the alley, stopping him short.

"That's quite enough of that," it commanded coldly.

Zuko quickly and smoothly redirected his movement, positioning the swords out to either side of his body defensively as he risked a glance in the direction of the newcomer. At the end of the alley nearest the front of the shop stood the Commander, holding Ru firmly with a dagger of flame hovering near the old man's neck.

Flicking his eyes back to his former target, Zuko saw that Jee had recovered and was now poised to deliver a final blow as well. The prince looked from one man to the other, carefully deliberating his choices. Ru's face was impassively calm, as if prepared for and accepting of whatever might happen. All Zuko had to do was strike Jee down and run. The time to act was now, and Zuko's body tensed as he finally made his decision.

The alleyway echoed with the ring of steel as the twin dao clattered to the cobblestones in surrender.


	8. Ch 8 Recovery

**Author's Note:** _Gah! I have been trying to upload this for a WEEK now! My apologies for keeping you all waiting…blame the FanFictionNet servers._

* * *

Sokka made it back to the alley just in time to see Zuko being led around the corner to the front of the shop. The prince's captors never even glanced back to see the warrior standing there. 

He looked about, trying to determine the best course of action, and quickly decided against a rescue while they were inside. The close quarters filled with dry herbs would be a bad place to be if they started shooting flames. He'd just have to wait until they headed back to the ship, and make his move then.

Spotting a stack of crates and barrels near the kitchen window, he carefully climbed up and peered through the wooden slats of the shutter to keep abreast of what was happening.

* * *

From his spot in the doorway that separated the main shop from the back, Jee could keep an eye on the aged physician gathering up herbs for the ship as well as listen to and observe Huo and Zuko in the kitchen. The prince was tied securely to a chair, but the restraints somehow seemed unnecessary, as he had made no attempts to struggle or escape. Instead, he merely sat there glaring at the ground. 

"Your sister is quite anxious to find you," Huo stated placidly.

Zuko said nothing, his face impassive.

"Where is General Iroh?"

The captured boy gave no response.

"Is he with the Avatar?"

Still, Zuko offered no reply, but merely continued to stare expressionlessly at the floor, his features betraying nothing. Huo resumed with the same measured but casual tone.

"I have orders to bring you back to the Fire Nation where you are to receive an honorable execution befitting a member of the royal family. But perhaps if you were to cooperate, provide some useful information…?" Huo let the offer linger unspoken.

"Do what you have to do," Zuko finally said quietly, not bothering to lift his gaze, "I'm not telling you anything."

Commander Huo raised an eyebrow as he exchanged glances with Jee. The lieutenant looked mildly impressed.

"Do you know who I am, Prince Zuko?" asked Huo conversationally.

"Is there some reason I should care?" the prince retorted numbly.

"Oh, I think perhaps you might. Three years ago, I was a field commander in a strike near Ba Sing Se. Do you know what division I lead?"

"No."

Huo turned around and faced his captive, leaning forward so that he was level with Zuko's downcast eyes.

"The forty-first," he intoned meaningfully.

Zuko glanced up in shock and held the commander's gaze only briefly before quickly looking back down. Huo stood upright with a smug expression, then turned and walked a few steps away as he expanded proudly on this piece of information.

"When the battle was over, we became one of the most highly decorated units in Fire Nation history. Of course, there weren't many of us left to enjoy that honor." He spun and faced the prince again. "One hundred and fifty men fought under my command that day…twenty-three lived," he finished quietly, his gaze fixed on the prince to gauge the boy's reaction.

Zuko clenched his eyes shut, trying to maintain his composure. But when he spoke, the shakiness of his voice betrayed his suppressed anguish.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Huo once again turned his back on Zuko as he contemplated his answer.

"Why indeed," he mused. Huo pivoted slightly to look over at his captive. "Tell me, Prince Zuko, what were you thinking when you spoke out against that attack plan?"

Huo observed Zuko critically as the young man's eyes went wide and he took in a sharp breath of surprise before gritting his teeth. Zuko then pursed his lips in a thin line as he swallowed hard, but he refused to answer or even look at the commander.

"Answer the question!" demanded Huo impatiently as he whirled the rest of the way around to face the banished prince again. Zuko took several labored breaths before answering.

"It was wrong," Zuko whispered hoarsely to the floor. Huo moved closer, leaning his head in towards Zuko, feigning an inability to hear.

"I'm sorry" Huo said politely, "I didn't catch that."

"It was _wrong_!" roared Zuko defiantly, snapping his head up to look at Huo; tortured rage was flashing in the princes' eyes. "Those men didn't deserve to be slaughtered just to gain a tactical advantage!" he fumed.

Huo straightened with satisfaction at this answer, and seemed about to say something when a loud cracking noise erupted from the window across the room, startling both of them into looking in that direction.

* * *

Sokka had pressed just a little too hard trying to hear Zuko's initial answer. Unfortunately, at that moment, the dry-rotted crate he stood upon gave way, and he felt himself pitching forward into the shutter. Unable to stop his momentum, he fell right into the window, smashing the shutters inward as he dropped in a heap onto a small, pottery-laden table, sending broken wood and shards of terra-cotta flying. 

He pulled himself out of the wreckage only find himself staring up into the patronizing eyes of Commander Huo.

* * *

As Toph emerged from the underground corridor, she immediately sensed a familiar 'blur' racing down the mountain toward her. 

"Twinkle Toes?" she called as he came nearer.

Apparently, he was moving too fast to see or hear her, for he sailed right on by.

"Hey!" she shouted, and then growled in annoyance.

With a slight of her foot and a jab of her arm, the ground in front of the speeding air bender suddenly shot up, tripping the boy and causing him to tumble several feet before plunging into a copse of shrubs. A litany of 'oofs' 'ows', and 'ughs' punctuated the brief cacophony of rustling and crunching as Toph strode over to the bushes and hauled Aang out.

"Ya know," she remarked sardonically, "It's a good thing I'm not a fire bender looking to capture the Avatar. 'Cause if I was, you'd be _toast _right now…literally!

Aang looked at her sheepishly while he picked the twigs and leaves from his clothes.

"What are you _doing_ out here?" she demanded crossly.

"Iroh's sickness has gotten worse and…" he began, but when he noticed that Toph was alone, his face became ashen. "Where's Sokka and Zuko?" he asked worriedly.

"They're still in town," she replied unhappily, "we ran into a little trouble. But now that you're here, I can go back and take care of things."

"I knew it! I knew there was a problem!" he gushed, and without waiting for any further details, he started running off toward the city.

"Hold on there, Zippy!" commanded Toph as she grabbed the back of his collar, forcing it against his throat just enough for him to croak out an 'ack' as she pulled him back to stand next to her.

"We can't both go," she explained calmly as she pulled the bags from her belt, "one of us needs to get this medicine to Iroh before it's too late, and since _I_ know where the boys are, that leaves _you_ to take this stuff back to camp."

"But I-" he tried to protest as she shoved the parcels at him.

"Look, I know you want to be the hero, save the day and all that," the girl rationalized, "but if you really want to do your Avatar duty, then you need to start by saving your fire bending teacher. Because let's face it, if you don't master all the elements by the time we face the Fire Lord, the whole world is in serious doo-doo."

Aang opened his mouth wide to voice his refusal, but then his shoulders slumped as he realized she had a very good point.

"Do you _always_ have to make this much sense?" he pouted.

"That's my job," she shrugged nonchalantly, before setting her features into an imposing scowl. "Now get going!"

She emphasized her order with a sudden rumble of the ground beneath his feet, tossing him forward just enough to get her point across clearly. Aang shot the girl a glum and ultimately useless glare, but without further complaint or prompting, he whipped up an air-scooter.

"And make sure he drinks the whole bottle," she called after him as he started back up the hill.

A faint 'okay' drifting on the wind was her only confirmation that he had heard, but that was enough. She dropped down into the hole and started earth-surfing back through the tunnel.

* * *

The two teenage boys were now both tied to their chairs, sitting side by side as Huo paced leisurely in front of them. 

"So, Prince Zuko," he asked conversationally, "is this boy a friend of yours."

"No," he replied emotionlessly.

Sokka let out an indignant sound. "Oh sure, I come all the way back here to rescue your royal butt and you-"

He stopped short as he caught sight of Zuko's murderous glare. Only then did he realize that Zuko's denial was meant to be an act of protection, to keep Huo from associating the two so that Sokka might be left alone…and he'd just blown it.

"Are you _incapable_ of keeping your mouth _shut_?" hissed the prince furiously.

"Sorry," the other boy mumbled contritely as he hung his head.

"A noble gesture, Your Highness," Huo interjected smoothly, "but completely unnecessary I assure you. I am well aware of the boy's affiliations with the Avatar. After all, he's one of the people responsible for tearing up my ship."

"Actually, I had nothing to do with that," Sokka pointed out, "Toph's the one…that…"

Again, he felt his companion staring at him wrathfully, and peeked sidelong to confirm it. Sure enough, if Zuko's eyes were a weapon, the water tribe warrior would be cold dead at that moment.

"Right, I'm shutting up now," Sokka said quickly.

Zuko hung his head as he let out an irritated breath. The binds on his hands were the only thing preventing him from smacking his forehead in frustration.

"I have to admit" Huo resumed casually, looking directly at Sokka, "That I am curious as to why a warrior from the Southern Water Tribe would risk his neck to save the banished Prince of the Fire Nation."

"Honestly?" retorted the warrior insolently. "Because I'd much rather see _him_," Sokka jerked his head sideways to indicate Zuko, "on the throne than Ozai…or Azula," he added with a grimace.

Huo seemed to consider this response most carefully as he turned away from the two boys. After a long moment of silence and a heavy sigh, he replied solemnly.

"So would I."

Two heads shot up and the boys looked at each other with stunned expressions of disbelief. They then snapped their eyes toward Huo, who by now had turned around and was regarding them both with calm conviction.

The commander gave a slight nod to Jee, and the next thing the boys knew, their bonds had been cut.

* * *

As Toph stood underneath the garden with her hands pressed against the roof of the tunnel to sense the presence of those inside the building, she frowned. 

"Sokka…Zuko…Ru..." she murmured to herself as she spotted each person. Her eyebrows then quirked incredulously as she discovered they were the only ones there, "oh, they _couldn't_ have…"

Deciding there was only one way to find out, she pushed the stones above her aside and popped up into the garden.

* * *

Sokka stared at the empty, broken doorway where Huo and Jee had exited. After their bonds had been cut, the two Fire Nation officers had simply paid Ru for their herbs and left without offering any explanations. The bewildered boy didn't even turn to look at Zuko as he came up beside him. 

"What…just _happened_?" marveled Sokka.

Zuko shook his head in wonder, "I have no idea."

"Okay!" called Toph as she walked in from the kitchen, "What did I just _miss_?"

The two boys exchanged confused glances and shrugged.

"When we figure that out," answered Sokka as he scratched his head, "we'll be sure to tell you."

* * *

As Jee and Huo made their way back to the ship, the lieutenant cleared his throat hesitantly. 

"Not that I disagree with your decision, Sir," he began cautiously, "but…might I inquire as to why?"

"Do you have any children, Lieutenant?" asked Huo abstractedly.

"Uh…no, Sir" stammered Jee with mild surprise at the unexpected question, "I never took the time for a family."

Huo nodded as if he felt that had been a wise choice. Taking a deep breath, he went on with the same vague sense of distracted thought.

"I have a son, just about Prince Zuko's age." He paused and frowned before adding, "Last week he received his conscription notice."

"Conscription?" asked Jee dubiously, "I thought the age for that was-"

"Eighteen," Huo finished for him, "it _was_."

The two men walked in silence for a bit as the implications of that last statement hovered between them. At last, Huo finally gave a more thorough explanation.

"If I took the Prince back to the Fire Lord, he would be executed, Azula would take the throne after Ozai, and this war would go on forever. That's not the life I want for my only child." He glanced over at Jee shrewdly, "I expect I can trust your silence on this matter." It wasn't a question.

"We just went to get some lunch and medical supplies, Sir," Jee responded offhandedly, "I wasn't aware that anything else happened."

The two men looked at each other fleetingly, confirming the unspoken promise between them as they walked across the docks.

* * *

Zuko sat alone at the mouth of the cave, mulling over the day's events. They'd done their best to explain to the others what had happened, but in the end, everyone was equally confused. 

Iroh, at least, was doing much better. Aang had made it back just as the old man's condition became critical, but the medicine seemed to be doing its job. Iroh was now resting, his fever broken and his breathing much more relaxed and natural. Zuko took a sip of the tea Ru had provided and winced. That wasn't going to go ever well with his uncle, and the thought brought forth the flicker of a wry smile. In a bizarre reflection of his own thoughts, Sokka came up next to him and sat down, making a comment as he did so.

"Your uncle's really going to _love_ this tea," he said sarcastically, and then gagged slightly as he finished his cup. "Bleh!"

The two sat for while in silence, watching the sun melt into the horizon. Zuko risked a sidelong glance at the other teen, and noticed the somber expression on his usually jovial face. Somehow, he knew what was on Sokka's mind.

"How much did you hear?" the prince asked somberly.

Sokka's eyes darted over to Zuko, then back out to the sunset as he took a deep breath and let it out.

"Nothing I didn't already know," he answered quietly, "Your uncle told us before we left Ba Sing Se."

Zuko's head drooped even as he clenched his jaw angrily. Catching this out of the corner of his eye, Sokka was quick to defend the old man.

"Don't be mad at him," he pleaded, "he did the right thing by telling us. And," he hesitated as he chose his words. "There's something else you should know."

"What is that?" asked Zuko with a bitter edge.

"Just that…well…if that had been me in your place…" Sokka let out a short sigh. "I'd have a scar too," he finished softly.

Zuko glanced at the other boy uncertainly, but as their eyes met, he could see quite plainly that Sokka meant what he said. A strange sensation came over Zuko that was not unlike what he felt earlier that day when the water tribe boy had so casually referred to himself as Zuko's friend. And in that instant, a rare bond was forged between them that neither would ever be able to fully describe, only accept as fact.

The two then looked away awkwardly, as if suddenly self-conscious of the profound acceptance they had just shared in that moment, and Sokka let out a short laugh.

"Of course, mine would have been right across my big mouth," he quipped.

Zuko snorted lightly, "Like that would shut you up."

"Yeah…probably not," Sokka admitted with a huge grin.

When the two glanced at each other again, Sokka got his first glimpse of a real smile on Zuko's face, and as they both turned to look back at the horizon, he decided that was something he wanted to see more often.

Nothing else needed to be said at that point, and the two sat in companionable silence as the red glow of sunset faded into the cool, star-speckled curtain of twilight.

_

* * *

_

fin

**Author's Note:** And thus concludes the fifth 'episode' of my speculative version of season three. And, just so you all know, this entire 'episode' was written for the sole purpose of facilitating Huo's interrogation of Zuko. That scene has been bumbling around in my head for almost two months, and was actually the first scene I wrote for this.

Yes, there are still a lot of loose ends hanging out there, but rest assured, all will become clear in time. I've already got the titles and basic plotlines for all 20 'episodes' mapped out. So, provided that readership doesn't dwindle, I will see this 'season' through to the end.

Thank you to all who graciously give reviews. You folks are the _only_ reason I write these stories, and without your input, I would have no motivation to continue. Therefore, please be sure to let me know your thoughts as you read, and stay tuned for the next chapter: 'Reclaiming Omashu' (or something like that...)


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